1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates devices and methods for cutting and removal of tissue from the interior of a patient's body, typically in a laparosopic procedure.
Laparoscopic and other minimally invasive tissue cutters are known, some of which operate by advancing a tubular blade past an open window in an outer housing to resect or sever intruding tissue. Optionally the cutter may be rotated as it is axially advanced past the window to enhance cutting. Although quite effective, such cutters cannot always adequately cut difficult tissue structure, and it would therefore be advantageous to provide improved devices and methods for laparoscopic and other minimally invasive tissue resection,
2. Description of the Background Art
Reciprocating and rotational tissue cutters are described in U.S. Published Patent Applications 20130267937; 20130172870; and 20120330292. Atherectomy catheters having ultrasound imaging transducers on the cutting blades are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,136.